We were teenagers once...and although it wasn't always pretty, we made it to adulthood. Parenting teenagers will push you, challenge you and inspire you. Somedays it will feel like a new person has moved into your home, full of- hormones, new ideas, new dreams and a fierce desire for independence. Other days you will see flashes of the little child you brought home from the hospital- playful, in need of tender care and full of love for their parents. Attempting to understand the impulses, emotions and cognitive processes of teenagers is much easier when you understand the brain developement that is occuring during adolescence. "It seems like you were not fully using your brain when you made the decision to go to that party?!?"...turns out they wern't! Understanding the developmental hurdles teens are making during adolescence will fill you with much more grace as a parent and probably help you forgive yourself for some misguided fashion choices you made during high school. The link below will give you an excellent overview on teenage brain development.